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Part of the fun of being on the road is the experiences to be found with the great new people you meet while traveling. The road can bring us some hilarious, wise, and challenging characters. However, like many vagabonders, I relish my solitary travels. There’s nothing quite like striking out on your own, literally all alone. Sometimes I find … Read more »
I’ve had my eye on the Faroe Island chain for what seems like years now. You know, those weather beaten isles in the Norwegian Sea? This small chain of 18 islands with its rolling hills, fluffy placid sheep, and thatched roofs seems like the perfect place to linger for a few contemplative months. To perhaps … Read more »
Spring festivals are getting underway, bringing the promise of prime walking weather. Although it’ll be a little while before Norway warms up, St. Olav’s Way is a trek (and bonafide pilgrimage) to check out.
The route stretches about 400 miles (643 km) northwest from Oslo to St. Olav’s grave in Trondheim. It traces lakes, rolls over hills, cuts into and out of forests “Read more »
I can’t count the amount of times I heard, “Oh yuck—too crowded with drunk college kids” when I told people I was going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The problem is, the folks who commented had never been there, and their perceptions of the annual event stemmed from TV news footage of just one thing during an entire season of Carnival. … Read more »
Hanoi, Vietnam
If you have ever seen an artistic rendering of a prehistoric caveman sitting around the campfire with his buddies, you may have thought, boy, we’ve come a long way! Or then again, if you’re like me, maybe you didn’t think this at all.
It’s easy to forget the … Read more »
The idea of packing light is nothing new. Henry David Thoreau famously explored simple living. Rick Steves advocates one 20-pound bag. Many airlines now penalize travelers with even one checked bag by imposing a baggage fee. And in this BootsnAll interview, Rolf suggests that a small pack keeps the traveler from being tempted to cram unnecessary stuff in … Read more »
First, decide you’re going to go.
The untraveled route is the route you haven’t taken yet. Or maybe it’s your old route with new eyes.
Go on foot. Bike. Horse. Rollerblade, skateboard, pogo stick.
Start climbing from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or descending from Read more »
Unless you were born into money, your travels are probably funded like mine — by scraping together what you can and doing without many of the gadgets, luxuries and stuff that your friends are likely accumulating and, yes, enjoying.
Some people take pride in this (possibly forced) asceticism, others find it difficult. Certainly stuff can be fun, but it can also get in the way … Read more »
One of the key tenants of vagabonding is consuming less stuff, both on the road and at home. On the road less stuff means a lighter load, and at home buying less stuff gives you more spare cash to put toward the next trip.
We’ve also pointed out in the past that less stuff generally leads … Read more »
As Marcus Sortijas pointed out a couple of weeks ago, interest in bicycling is on the rise. This makes sense in a number of ways. In terms of healthy living, incorporating physical exercise into activities that are themselves enjoyable is easier than avoiding going to the gym. As the cost of gas inflates and there is more awareness for maintaining a clean environment, a mode of transportation that serves both the function of commuting … Read more »